In the final exhibition game, Lakers lose to the Suns
The Lakers deploy a lineup that is somewhat resemblant to their presumable normal rotation as they fall to the Suns, 123-100, in Thousand Palms, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves all participating.
A MILLION PALMS In their final match of their six-game exhibition schedule against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday at Acrisure Arena, the Lakers used a rotation that was the closest to their regular-season lineup that they had displayed throughout the summer. They lost 123-100.
Following two exhibition games each, LeBron James and Austin Reaves returned to the starting lineup and were joined by Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, and Taurean Prince.
The starters for Tuesday's season-opening game against the Denver Nuggets in Colorado have not yet been announced by head coach Darvin Ham, who also revealed that forward Jarred Vanderbilt was unavailable on Thursday.
When James and Reaves were available during this preseason,
the starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, Prince, James, and Davis played all
three games.
Because of the fluctuating player availability, Ham stated before the game that
he doesn't feel like he lost out on anything.
It takes a while, said Ham. Therefore, you won't have everything figured out in the first month of the season or anything else. You simply strive to follow your ideals and make sure that the men are physically prepared for this lengthy journey.
"We have a few guys that are tackling various problems.
We're not trying to solve the puzzle at this point. Make sure everyone
understands the material and is in a position where we can start to build on it
and improve.
Midway through the third quarter, Ham replaced every player in the starting
lineup. The remaining players in the first-half rotation were Max Christie,
Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood, Rui Hachimura, and Cam Reddish.
Along with Vanderbilt, rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (right knee contusion) and Gabe Vincent (lower back stiffness) were also unavailable on Thursday.
Vando and Gabe are two crucial players who are still absent,
according to Ham. "However, I saw a lot of consistency — guys covering for
one another defensively, competing at a high level, had a lot of great looks,
forced them into some tough shots, which they made a lot of," the
commentator said.
It was stated that Vincent's absence was "precautionary."
Ham continued, "Give him a few more days so he can be prepared to go by
Tuesday night."
The Lakers, who led 65-64 midway through the third quarter, lost control of the game because they had no true lead ball handler to guide the second unit once the starters were replaced. In the final 1812 minutes, the Suns outscored the Lakers 59-35.
As the Suns prepared for their first regular-season game on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors, Thursday was initially anticipated to be a challenge for both teams.
The three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal, who the Suns
acquired from the Washington Wizards during the offseason, and Devin Booker,
who started at guard, did not play.
The first time James and Durant faced off against one another since December
25, 2018, Kevin Durant still put on his uniform and participated in the first
half on Thursday.
In 17 minutes, Durant ended with 21 points (8 of 14 from the field), four rebounds, and two assists.
The Lakers and Suns will play again the following Thursday at Crypto.com Arena in the Lakers' home opener, in what is anticipated to be the first James-Durant regular-season battle in almost five years.
Former Lakers coach and current Suns head coach Frank Vogel referred to them as "two iconic figures in the game of basketball today." "And will always be two legendary basketball players. They essentially controlled this generation in a variety of ways. If that's the case, the fans have lost out on something.